| Show 11 t I Y Y aY w. w L f f. f i Jf f fY Western Resources Resource's r e. e WRAP WRAP-UP r. r n Tit fi f Northwest water supply fly Ity Helene C C. C Washington Washington Even Even In the water water- abundant Pacific Northwest theres there's not enough water to go around so a war tug has developed with water diversions trying to pull runoff in one direction and uses tugging in the opposite direction This is one of oC the findings in a draft study on the Pacific Northwest regional water program just released by the staff starr of oC the Pacific Northwest River Basins Commission headquartered in Vancouver Wash The study is not final It is for Cor discussion by the public at this point Comments on the study will willbe willbe willbe be received by the Commission until June 1 1 The study will become final only after aCler it has been revised and approved by the Commission which is made up of oC the states of oC Washington Oregon Idaho Montana and Wyoming The Pacific Northwest region covers an area of oC square miles in all or parts of oC the five states slates above and a tiny bit of oC Utah and Nevada in the Snake Snake- River drainage It has a runoff of oC million feet acre annually 1 I So it would appear the Pacific Northwest has plenty of oC water for all uses The draft study indicates that's not the case by a along along along long shot Much of this trus runoff comes from the Columbia River the great interstate river of the Pacific Northwest and one of the great rivers of this country There was a time lime when the Southwest cast casl covetous eyes on the Columbia as the last great water hole of oC the West That era has about passed what with high rugh economic costs casts unacceptable environmental problems and rising energy rates to transport water West Texans no longer dream of oC being at the end of oC a half-continental half ditch from the Columbia Today the battle batlle is carried on locally The draft study explains Competition between uses of water waler and uses that require diversion from the streams of the Columbia River System magnifies the criticality of oC the seasonal low flows especially during a adry adry adry dry year such as 1977 This can be likened to a war tug with wilh diversions diversions diversions diver diver- trying to lo pull the usable runoff in one direction and uses pulling in the opposite direction Aa a jn requite requirements n is for lis fish h navigation hydro hydro electric electric power water-based water recreation water quality control and preservation of natural values are in direct competition with wilh diversions for irrigation tion municipal and industrial uses But even those on the same side of oC the war tug often are not pulling totally together For example optimizing optimizing optimizing op op- regulation for Cor hydro hydroelectric hydro power production would have a detrimental impact on flow requirements for fish and vice versa In a similar manner water diversions for Cor the same or different purposes often orten are not compatible because water diverted at one location is no longer available for Cor diversion elsewhere the draft study observed FISH IRRIGATION AND The major competing uses are arc fish irrigation and hydropower for water in inthe inthe inthe the Columbia River System The Columbia River Is rich In fish such as salmon that go upstream to lo spawn and also in a wide range of oC other fish They need higher flows during the spring and summer when the young fish migrate downstream That's exactly when irrigators tors want to lo divert wa water ter for their growing crops-and crops 90 percent of all irrigation water comes from surface supplies in the Pacific Northwest In a alow alow alow low runoff year this competition for Cor runoff generates a war tug between the professional fish managers and the irrigators gators Hydropower demands are highest during the fall and winter in the Pacific Northwest Still hydropower and fish are direct competitors for water Power utilities oppose spills from dams and reservoirs because such water goes unused through their power generators But fish managers like spills to enable young fish to migrate downstream Its It's a a dangerous journey for the small young fish either way-navigating way the power turbines or falling victim to by going over the spillways but fish managers pr prefer fer the spillways according to the draft study Water management including flood control works fairly well during normal runoff years years but water supply is cyclical in the Pacific Northwest as elsewhere In some years theres there's too much water so flooding is a major hazard particularly along some of the short streams that dot the West Coast In some years theres there's too little water waler as in the years 31 1929 41 1939 1 13 t tIn years between 1880 arid and 1945 there was vas v Very r low precipitation and reduced in the Columbia River Basin according to lo the draft study Low flows in 1973 forced industrial and other power curtailments power had to be imported to meet the power needs of oC the area There were heavy losses of oC young fish migrating downstream inlow inlow In Inlow low flows Irrigation supplies ran short in some areas driving some irrigators to try seeding cloud-seeding to increase water supply from Crom this source with wilh in inconclusive Inconclusive In conclusive results Similar conditions faced the Pacific Northwest during the recent 77 1976 drought The draft study indicates why local competition is so keen for Cor water waler in the generally abundant water Pacific Northwest The average annual precipitation in the area ranges from Crom more than inches annually in parts of oC the Coast and Cascade Ranges in Washington and Oregon to less than 12 inches in parts of oC the Hie Columbia and Snake River Plateaus In Washington and Idaho and the Oregon Closed Basin in southern Oregon Throughout the area generally very little precipitation occurs during July August September and sometimes October Because little ground groundwater water storage occurs in the area generally stream flows lows drop to lower levels than they would otherwise during these dry months |
